According to Destructoid, the Tokyo-based developer Game Republic, has reportedly shut down, with its founder nowhere to be found.

The developer has shuttered its offices in Tokyo with seemingly no warning. Rumours are circulating that Game Republic founder Yoshiki Okamoto ran into severe debt trouble and fled, but this has yet to be confirmed.

The creator of titles like Genji: Days of the Blade(whose giant enemy crabs became infamous at Sony's E3 2006 press conference), Folklore, and more recently Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Game Republic did not have the most stellar of quality records since its founding in 2003. Aside from the aforementioned games, Game Republic were mostly responsible for a series of Dragon Ball games on the Nintendo DS and a handful of downloadable PlayStation Network titles. Majin was a love-it-or-hate-it affair that was nonetheless regarded as a breakout title for the studio.

Regardless of quality, however, it is always sad to see a development studio close its doors, especially without warning. I wish the studio's 300 employees all the best in the future.